ISSN 2654-5926
Buletin Profesi Insinyur 8.
073Ae078 http://dx.
org/10.
20527/bpi.
Compressive Strength Performance of CementTreated Base (Class A) with Waste Paper Pulp as Partial Fine Aggregate Replacement Utami Sylvia Lestari1.
Puguh Budi Prakoso1.
Markawie1.
Fauzi Rahman1.
Nilna Amal1.
Nadiana1 1 Department of Civil Engineering.
Faculty of Engineering.
Universitas Lambung Mangkurat.
Banjarbaru.
Indonesia AAutami.
lestari@ulm.
The growing demand for sustainable road infrastructure has encouraged the use of alternative materials to reduce dependence on non-renewable natural resources.
This study aims to evaluate the effect of waste paper pulp as a partial replacement for fine aggregate on the compressive strength of CementTreated Base (CTB) Class A and to determine an optimal and economical substitution level that meets technical requirements.
An experimental program was conducted using Portland Pozzolan Cement (PCC), fine and coarse aggregates, and waste paper pulp as a fine aggregate substitute at replacement levels of 0%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, and 70% by volume.
Two mixture conditions were examined: mixtures without superplasticizer and mixtures containing 0.
superplasticizer by weight of cement.
Cylindrical specimens measuring 150 mm in diameter and 300 mm in height were prepared using a standard layered compaction method and cured under moist Compressive strength tests were performed after seven days of curing.
The results show that compressive strength decreases as the proportion of waste paper pulp increases for both mixture A compressive strength of 48.
12 kg/cmA was achieved at a 30% substitution level without superplasticizer, satisfying the CTB Class A requirement of 45Ae55 kg/cmA.
Although the addition of superplasticizer enhanced compressive strength, the 30% waste paper pulp mixture without superplasticizer was identified as the most economical and suitable The findings indicate that waste paper pulp can be effectively utilized as a sustainable fine aggregate replacement in CTB Class A applications when applied at an optimal proportion.
Keywords: Waste paper pulp.
Cement-treated base.
Fine aggregate substitution.
Compressive strength.
Sustainable pavement materials Submitted: November 26, 2025 Revised: December 1, 2025 Accepted: December 18, 2025 Published: December 20, 2025 Introduction Cement-Treated Base (CTB) is a pavement foundation layer composed of aggregates stabilized with cement and is commonly classified into Class A.
B, or C depending on its mechanical performance and application requirements.
CTB Class A is widely used in road construction due to its high strength, durability, and resistance to water infiltration, making it suitable for areas with high rainfall or high groundwater levels.
In regions with increasing heavy traffic volumes, such as industrial and port areas.
CTB Class A is often selected as an alternative to Asphalt Treated Base (ATB) to improve structural performance and service life (Direktorat Jenderal Bina Marga, 2.
However, road transportation contributes the largest share of greenhouse gas emissions among all transportation modes, accounting for approximately 72% of total transport-related emissions in 2019 (Agency, 2.
In addition, conventional pavement materials are primarily derived from non-renewable natural resources, which are becoming increasingly These conditions highlight the urgent need for alternative and sustainable materials in pavement construction to reduce environmental impacts and resource depletion (Prihatini et al.
, 2.
One promising approach is the utilization of waste materials to partially replace natural aggregates, thereby supporting sustainable infrastructure development and waste reduction.
How to cite this article:
Lestari U.
Prakoso P.
Markawie.
Rahman F.
Amal N.
, & Nadiana.
Compressive Strength Performance of Cement-Treated Base (Class A) with Waste Paper Pulp as Partial Fine Aggregate Replacement.
Buletin Profesi Insinyur, 8.
, 73Ae78.
This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-SA license BPI, 2025 | 73
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org/10.
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Flexible pavement performance is strongly influenced by material properties and construction Pavements constructed in areas with high groundwater levels and heavy traffic loads are particularly susceptible to premature deterioration.
Therefore, the use of stabilized base layers, such as CTB, is essential to enhance bearing capacity and structural stability, both for new pavements and for the rehabilitation of existing roads with low subgrade strength (Hardiyatmo, 2019.
Saepudin, 2.
Aggregates used in base layers must satisfy strict strength and durability requirements, which necessitates comprehensive material characterization before implementation (Irianto et al.
, 2.
Waste paper represents a significant environmental challenge, as paper production relies heavily on timber resources, leading to deforestation when consumption rates increase (Kesuma, 2.
Paper pulp contains mineral components such as kaolinite and calcium carbonate, which have the potential to contribute to cementitious reactions under certain conditions.
Previous studies have reported that the incorporation of waste paper or paper-based fibers in concrete can improve certain properties at low substitution levels.
however, excessive replacement may lead to a reduction in compressive strength (Rafael et al.
, 2022.
Shaleh & Johari, 2.
The fibrous nature of paper pulp can fill voids between fine aggregate particles, reducing porosity and forming an internal reinforcement network, although its influence on mechanical performance depends strongly on the substitution Superplasticizers are commonly used in cementbased materials to improve workability and enhance compressive strength.
While the addition of superplasticizer can increase strength and ease of compaction, excessive dosages may result in adverse effects on mechanical properties (Restu et al.
, 2.
CTB mixtures, the role of superplasticizers must therefore be carefully evaluated, particularly when alternative materials are introduced.
Based on the above considerations, this study investigates the utilization of waste paper pulp as a partial replacement for fine aggregate in CementTreated Base Class A.
The objectives of this research are to evaluate the effect of waste paper pulp substitution on compressive strength, to compare mixtures with and without superplasticizer, and to identify an optimal and economical composition that meets CTB Class A strength requirements.
Materials and Method Materials The materials used in this study consisted of Portland Pozzolan Cement (PCC) Type I, fine aggregate .
atural san.
, coarse aggregate .
rushed ston.
, waste paper pulp, and a superplasticizer.
The waste paper pulp was produced from used HVS paper that was shredded, soaked, and processed into pulp prior to mixing.
Sikament-LN was used as the superplasticizer at a dosage of 0.
3% by weight of cement.
All materials complied with the relevant standards for pavement construction materials.
Material Testing Before mix preparation, all constituent materials were subjected to laboratory testing to determine their physical properties.
Tests on fine aggregate included moisture content, silt content, gradation, fineness modulus, specific gravity, water absorption, bulk density, and organic content.
Coarse aggregate testing covered moisture content, silt content, gradation, specific gravity, water absorption, abrasion resistance, and bulk density.
Cement testing included bulk density, specific gravity, normal consistency, and setting time.
These tests were conducted to ensure that the materials met the requirements for Cement-Treated Base mixtures.
Mix Design The Cement-Treated Base (CTB) Class A mixtures were designed based on a volumetric proportioning method using PCC, fine aggregate, coarse aggregate, and waste paper pulp.
Waste paper pulp was used as a partial replacement for fine aggregate at substitution levels of 0%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, and 70% by volume.
Two mix conditions were prepared for each substitution level:
mixtures without superplasticizer and mixtures with 3% superplasticizer by weight of cement.
The proportions of cement, fine aggregate, and coarse aggregate were maintained in accordance with CTB Class A specifications.
The detailed mix proportions for each variation are presented in Tables 1 and 2.
Specimen Preparation and Curing Cylindrical specimens with a diameter of 150 mm and a height of 300 mm were used for compressive strength The constituent materials were weighed according to the designed mix proportions and mixed until a homogeneous mixture was achieved.
The CTB mixture was placed into cylindrical molds and compacted in five layers, with each layer receiving 145 blows using a 4.
5 kg rammer dropped from a height of 450 mm, following the standard procedure for CTB After casting, the specimens were stored in the molds in a moist environment for at least 12 The specimens were then demolded, labeled, and cured under wet burlap conditions for seven days to maintain moisture.
Compressive Strength Testing After seven days of curing, the specimens were weighed and tested for compressive strength.
The compressive strength test was performed using a compression testing machine in accordance with the relevant standards for Cement-Treated Base materials.
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Table 1 Mix Proportions of Cement-Treated Base (CTB) Class A with Waste Paper Pulp Substitution without Superplasticizer Variation Sample Code Fine Aggregate .
%) Coarse Aggregate .
%) Cement Weight .
Weight Total Mix Weight Total Mix Percentage (%) Waste Paper Pulp (%) Weight Sand .
PP-NSP-0A
PP-NSP-0B
PP-NSP-0C
PP-NSP-30A
PP-NSP-30B
PP-NSP-30C
PP-NSP-40A
PP-NSP-40B
PP-NSP-40C
PP-NSP-50A
PP-NSP-50B
PP-NSP-50C
PP-NSP-60A
PP-NSP-60B
PP-NSP-60C
PP-NSP-70A
PP-NSP-70B
PP-NSP-70C
Table 2 Mix Proportions of Cement-Treated Base (CTB) Class A with Waste Paper Pulp Substitution with Superplasticizer Coarse Cement Fine Aggregate .
%) Aggregate Total
SuperTotal Mix
Mix
Sample Variation Percentage Code
Weight
Waste (%) (%) Weight
Sand
Weight
Weight
Paper
Pulp (%) PP-NSP-0A
PP-NSP-0B
PP-NSP-0C
PP-NSP-30A
PP-NSP-30B
PP-NSP-30C
PP-NSP-40A
PP-NSP-40B
PP-NSP-40C
PP-NSP-50A
PP-NSP-50B
PP-NSP-50C
PP-NSP-60A
PP-NSP-60B
PP-NSP-60C
PP-NSP-70A
PP-NSP-70B
PP-NSP-70C
The measured compressive strength values were used to evaluate the influence of waste paper pulp substitution and superplasticizer addition on the mechanical performance of CTB Class A.
Results and Discussion Properties of Constituent Materials The laboratory test results of the constituent materials confirm their suitability for use in Cement-Treated Base (CTB) mixtures.
The fine aggregate exhibited a moisture content of 5.
2% and a silt content of 4.
8%, which are within acceptable limits for CTB applications.
Sieve analysis showed that the fine aggregate fell within Zone IV grading with a fineness modulus of 2.
65, indicating relatively fine sand.
However, the water absorption value of 3.
31% exceeded the recommended maximum 5%, suggesting a higher porosity that may influence water demand and strength development in cementtreated mixtures.
Nevertheless, the organic content was classified as color standard No.
2, indicating low organic impurities and acceptable performance in cement-based materials (Irianto et al.
, 2.
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Table 3 Compressive Strength Test Results of CementTreated Base (CTB) Class A without Superplasticizer Variation The characteristics, including low moisture content .
25%),
low silt content .
25%), and acceptable water absorption .
80%).
Abrasion resistance testing yielded a wear value of 27.
30%, satisfying durability requirements and indicating adequate resistance to shear and mechanical degradation.
These properties are consistent with the requirements for CTB materials subjected to traffic loading (Hardiyatmo, 2019.
Direktorat Jenderal Bina Marga, 2.
Cement testing results indicated normal consistency 60% and initial and final setting times of 70 and 120 minutes, respectively.
These values confirm the suitability of Portland Pozzolan Cement (PCC) for CTB applications, particularly in semi-dry mixtures requiring controlled setting behavior (Hadijah & Atmoko, 2.
Compressive Strength of CTB Class A without Superplasticizer The compressive strength results of CTB Class A mixtures incorporating waste paper pulp without superplasticizer are presented in Table 3.
The control mixture .
% substitutio.
exhibited a high average compressive strength of 98.
14 kg/cmA, exceeding the CTB Class A requirement of 45Ae55 kg/cmA.
While this strength level satisfies structural requirements, it may be considered uneconomical due to excessive cementitious performance relative to design needs.
At a 30% substitution level of waste paper pulp, the compressive strength decreased significantly to an average value of 48.
12 kg/cmA.
Nevertheless, this value still met the CTB Class A specification, indicating that partial replacement of fine aggregate with waste paper pulp at this level is technically feasible.
Further increases in substitution levels .
Ae70%) resulted in compressive strength values below the specified limits, indicating a progressive deterioration of mechanical The reduction in strength with increasing waste paper pulp content can be attributed to the lower stiffness and strength of paper pulp fibers compared to natural sand, as well as increased porosity within the cement matrix.
Similar trends have been reported in previous studies on paper-based waste incorporation in concrete, where excessive replacement levels led to reduced compressive strength (Rafael et al.
, 2022.
Shaleh & Johari, 2.
Effect of Superplasticizer on Compressive Strength The compressive strength results of CTB mixtures with the addition of 0.
3% superplasticizer are shown in Table For all substitution levels, the use of superplasticizer resulted in higher compressive strength compared to mixtures without superplasticizer.
The control mixture achieved an average compressive strength of 148.
kg/cmA, indicating a substantial improvement in strength due to enhanced workability and compaction Sample Code
Compressive Strength
g/cmA) PP-NSP-0A
PP-NSP-0B
PP-NSP-0C
PP-NSP-30A
PP-NSP-30B
PP-NSP-30C
PP-NSP-40A
PP-NSP-40B
PP-NSP-40C
PP-NSP-50A
PP-NSP-50B
PP-NSP-50C
PP-NSP-60A
PP-NSP-60B
PP-NSP-60C
PP-NSP-70A
PP-NSP-70B
PP-NSP-70C
Average .
g/cmA) Remarks Meets Meets Does not Does not Does not Does not At a 30% waste paper pulp substitution level, the mixture achieved an average compressive strength of 07 kg/cmA, satisfying the CTB Class A requirement.
However, similar to the mixtures without superplasticizer, higher substitution levels (Ou40%) failed to meet the strength criteria for CTB Class A.
These findings confirm that while superplasticizer improves strength performance, it cannot fully compensate for the mechanical limitations introduced by excessive waste paper pulp content.
The observed improvement in compressive strength due to superplasticizer addition is consistent with previous studies, which reported enhanced particle dispersion and reduced water demand in cement-based materials containing chemical admixtures (Restu et al.
Comparative Analysis and Optimal Mix Proportion A comparative analysis of compressive strength results with and without superplasticizer is illustrated in Figure 1 and summarized in Table 5.
As shown in Figure 1, mixtures containing superplasticizer consistently exhibited slightly higher compressive strength values across all substitution levels, with a pronounced effect observed in the control mixture .
% substitutio.
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Variation Table 4 Compressive Strength Test Results of CementTreated Base (CTB) Class A with Superplasticizer Sample Code
Compressive Strength
g/cmA) PP-NSP-0A
PP-NSP-0B
PP-NSP-0C
PP-NSP-30A
PP-NSP-30B
PP-NSP-30C
PP-NSP-40A
PP-NSP-40B
PP-NSP-40C
PP-NSP-50A
PP-NSP-50B
PP-NSP-50C
PP-NSP-60A
PP-NSP-60B
PP-NSP-60C
PP-NSP-70A
PP-NSP-70B
PP-NSP-70C
Average .
g/cmA) Remarks Meets Meets Does not Does not Does not Does not Average Compressive Strength .
g/cm.
With superplasticizer Without Waste Paper Pulb (%) Figure 1 Relationship between Compressive Strength and Waste Paper Pulp Content in CTB Class A with and without Superplasticizer Table 5 demonstrates that mixtures with 40Ae50% waste paper pulp substitution satisfied the requirements for CTB Class B .
Ae45 kg/cmA), indicating potential applicability for lower pavement layers.
However, from a structural and economic perspective, the most optimal mixture for CTB Class A was identified as the mixture without superplasticizer at a 30% waste paper pulp substitution level, achieving a compressive strength of 48.
12 kg/cmA.
Although the use of superplasticizer enhances compressive strength, its additional cost reduces economic efficiency.
Therefore, the mixture without superplasticizer is considered more suitable for practical application in CTB Class A.
This finding aligns with sustainable pavement strategies that prioritize both environmental benefits and cost-effectiveness (Prihatini et al.
, 2.
Overall, the results indicate that waste paper pulp can be effectively utilized as a partial fine aggregate replacement in CTB mixtures when applied at controlled substitution levels.
While paper pulp offers environmental advantages such as waste reduction and resource conservation (Kesuma, 2.
, its influence on compressive strength necessitates careful optimization to balance sustainability and mechanical performance.
Conclusions This study investigated the use of waste paper pulp as a partial replacement for fine aggregate in CementTreated Base (CTB) Class A mixtures, with and without the addition of superplasticizer.
Based on the experimental results and analysis, the following conclusions can be drawn:
The compressive strength of CTB Class A is significantly influenced by the proportion of waste paper pulp used as a fine aggregate substitute.
An increase in waste paper pulp content consistently resulted in a reduction in compressive strength for both mixtures with and without superplasticizer.
CTB mixtures without superplasticizer achieved the required compressive strength for CTB Class A at waste paper pulp substitution levels of 0% and 30%.
The mixture containing 30% waste paper pulp without superplasticizer produced an average compressive strength of 48.
12 kg/cmA, satisfying the specified requirement of 45Ae55 kg/cmA.
The addition of 0.
3% superplasticizer improved compressive strength at all substitution levels.
However, only the mixtures with 0% and 30% waste paper pulp substitution met the CTB Class A strength Higher substitution levels (Ou40%) did not meet the compressive strength requirements for CTB Class A but were suitable for CTB Class B applications, indicating potential use in lower pavement layers.
Considering both mechanical performance and economic efficiency, the mixture with 30% waste paper pulp substitution without superplasticizer was identified as the most optimal and practical composition for CTB Class A.
Acknowledgment The authors would like to express their sincere gratitude to the Institute for Research and Community Service (Lembaga Penelitian dan Pengabdian kepada Masyarakat.
LPPM).
Universitas Lambung Mangkurat, for providing financial support for this research under the 2025 research grant scheme.
Contract No.
1799/UN8/LT/2025.
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Table 5 Average Compressive Strength Test Results of CTB Mixtures with and without Superplasticizer Fine Aggregate Variation Waste Paper
Pulp
(%)
Sand Coarse Aggregate Cement Average Compressive Strength g/cmA) Weight Weight Without Superplasticizer With Superplasticizer Specification Requirement .
g/cmA) (CTB) Class A (CTB) Class B
Meets CTB specification but not economical Meets CTB Class A specification Meets CTB Class B specification References